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It's not so much a story of coming of age, but rather one of sensitivity
It happens without warning. It lands on the beardless and scrawny body of a young Nie Xiao Zhi, who wanders through the gardens and lytchee fields of his parents' family plantation on one of the islands of Zhejiang, a province in eastern China, and seeps into his veins, possessing him and leaving him without reserve with the force of an electric shock.
Unequivocal and inescapable, first love unfolds on the screen of 'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' ('Li Zhi Shu Xia Re Lie Dao') just a few minutes from its start, but it permeates the 120 minutes divided into seven episodes of approximately 15 minutes each, a series that shakes off the prejudices and common obstacles of homosexuality in its historical and social context, to tell a story of friendship, love, and admiration in all its splendor. In my case, it was a rediscovery of sexual awakening that caught me off guard despite the media hype and invaded me like summer days for a teenager, where the only goal is calm, carefree enjoyment.
'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' gives us a sensational romance starring one of the couples of the year: Liu Yihe and Hu Yi Chen, who, personally, I like as much as the duo formed by New and Pide, the two actors who played Fou4Mod and Chian in that order, in 'GelBoys', and Ahn Ji Ho and Lee Sang Jun, who gave life to Lee Hee Su and Kim Seung Won, respectively, in 'Heesu in Class 2'. Both shine independently, but when they share the scene the chemistry is explosive. The first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful filmography, the exquisite cinematography, the symbolism, a language steeped in that mixture of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, known as Humanism, the key to Chinese philosophy and the cultural thought of that gigantic country, from the most ancient times to the present day, and the aesthetics that immerse you in history.
SETTINGS AND FILMING LOCATIONS
Although the camera also rolls in Guangdong, Moganshan, and the Dongguan Jianyuzhou Cultural Park, most of the scenes were filmed in Zhejiang, with its rural interior, urban centers along the East China Sea, and the picturesque West Lake, where the labyrinth of islands, islets, gardens, stone bridges, and historical sites act as a winding guide for the protagonists through the secrets that await them in a summer that could very well have been the last or be the next.
Xiao Zhi arrives at this place, fulfilling his promise to Xiao Long, his older brother, to participate in the summer camp as a teaching assistant.
The meeting place and boiling love are a modern building surrounded by ruins that serve as a shelter where children play during summer vacation, the dining room, the outdoor garden that serves both as a recreation and play area and as a place where they will have snacks and lunch, and the lychee plantations, which will later be key in several scenes that must already be part of the history of Chinese and, why not, global LGBT+ dramas.
But of all of them, there are three places that inspire the most tenderness and intrigue in me: Nie Xiaozhi's room, which he will share with the boy who will steal his heart and which gives us clues about the younger Xiao's complex character; the bathroom where our main character suffers from embarrassment with his naked body submerged in the bathtub, when the person he has fallen in love with, without asking permission, undresses in front of him to shower as if it were the most normal thing in the world; and the pool where this other young man's swimsuits will drip with the remains of each dive before they are surprised by the sudden rain.
A TRIBUTE TO DAVID HOCKNEY
The paintings the protagonists discuss are from the work of British painter, designer, set designer, printer, and photographer David Hockney. This alone is enough to reveal the character of two young university students with unusual culture and interests.
The effect is as precious as it is effective: it gives the impression that the parents of the shy, artistic, and always deep in thought Xiao Zhi (whom we will never see) have built a summer retreat just so their youngest son can meet and fall in love with their eldest son's best friend.
Undoubtedly, several scenes in the series pay homage to David Hockney, famous for his obsession with pools, rain, and water. The scenes of the young man swimming underwater toward a standing figure in a luxurious garden are a reference to his work "A Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)", whose sale established the painter, born in 1937, as the most expensive living artist in the world. We can find references to two other Hockney works in "Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island". I'm referring to "We Two Boys Together Clinging" and "Domestic Scene, Los Angeles". In the latter, while one of the men is bathing, the other rubs his back... or perhaps, out of embarrassment, prefers to turn his back on him.
THE SLOW JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, FRIENDSHIP, AND LOVE
This context, which already captivates even the most skeptical viewer, discreetly witnesses the first encounter between Xiao Zhi and his dark object of desire. He answers to the name of Chen Li, a handsome, charming, carefree, and curious university student who visits Xiao Long, the older brother of the Xiao family, during the summer weeks to help him with his work at the summer camp. Xiao Zhi shares not only his room and bathroom with him.
The plot unfolds primarily from Xiao Zhi's point of view. The camera follows him impatiently to show what he sees, his dreams and erotic desires.
After the subtle and unfortunate ambient introduction (as Xiao Zhi's cell phone will break as soon as it touches the island), the two lull us on a slow journey of discovery, friendship, connection, and love.
The love between Xiao Zhi and Chen Li begins slowly; They circle around each other, slowly closing the gap, allowing the initial indifference to disguise their interest to finally disappear. Although both have no experience in love, they are imbued with a deep feeling that leads them to shake up their lives.
Xiao Zhi ends up being much better at that game; he's assertive, self-confident, and able to stand up to his homophobic college classmates. He grows increasingly curious about his brother's friend. Chen Li still has to navigate the path of discovery and acceptance, which ultimately leads him to hurt the boy he loves and himself.
The series is very good at capturing the lazy ebb and flow of summer days, with the drowsiness and exposed body parts covered in blue and red garments (as well as paintings on the walls and various objects in those colors), which become a new symbol to identify the two protagonists.
Everyone seems to be moving in slow motion at the summer camp, with the exception perhaps of the children, who never miss a chance to play. Xiao Zhi's quiet hesitation balances the playful charm and carefree confidence of the boy she's fallen in love with. This languor fits well with the rhythm of Chen Li and Xiao Zhi's relationship, which evolves over meals, bicycle rides, playing under trees, climbing to the top of bushes to pick ripe lychee fruit, sitting on the stone structures surrounding the pool, and conversations laden with lyricism, symbolism, art and philosophy, which actually serve as an overture to the romance.
The first download occurs when Chen Li, somewhat taller and more muscular, presses his fingers into Xiao Zhi's back, neck, and ears, under the guise of applying mosquito repellent.
I can't remember the last time a scene managed to raise the hairs on my neck in just a second, so full of the intended stimulation yet so worried about the outcome of that touch.
In the friendship forged by our two protagonists, there is no hypocrisy; just two people learning to love, with their fears of accepting themselves, with doubts about whether the other loves them, giving way to mistakes and misunderstandings, but ultimately with the possibility of understanding who they are, what they desire, and with it, the value of forgiveness and commitment.
THE TIMELINE
The first five episodes tell us about the early stage of the relationship between Xiao Zhi and Chen Li, in which everything is pure (and at times extreme) desire on the part of the younger of the two. Chen Li seems willing to distance himself from his fears of coming out as gay. It's symbolic how the series shows that the lychee trees weren't filled with fruit while they were at summer camp, indicating that Chen Li wasn't yet ready to embrace his gender identity. And it is in this transition of observer that Xiao Zhi soon encounters passion.
Hu Yi Chen's performance as Xiao Zhi, in this first part of the series, is unsurpassed. Because he says little, and the few words he uses are rudimentary, but his inner self experiences moments of exuberant brilliance. He is falling in love. That's why the young actor must express everything with his gaze, which is emerging into life, into new experiences, dethroning the familiar to land with bewilderment (but certain) in the land of novelty.
Then, a time jump occurs. We leave the island with the protagonists, but they will walk their separate ways for three more years. We first notice the change not in Xiao Zhi's tears of frustration and bitterness, but in the shift in the color palette. It's no longer as bright and ethereal as it was at the beginning of the series. With distance, the shadows and chiaroscuros increase.
The non-linear timeline adds depth and allows for key memories and emotions to be revealed in layers. It's a structure that, while confusing for some viewers at first, ultimately pays off.
Xiao Long isn't the older brother any gay boy would wish for upon coming out, as he tries to separate the boys under the guise of protecting them, or perhaps out of ignorance of the feelings his brother has stirred in his best friend. In any case, the series' approach seeks to reflect the obstacles many queer youth face in their process of self-acceptance and discovery, when, in many cases, their own loved ones attack them. However, there will be no homophobia, nor will there be rejection of the brother or friend for their sexual identity.
The series lets the use of time work on many levels: to build the ever-deepening bond between the two protagonists, to co-opt the viewer step by step into the story, and so that when the two merge in a kiss and embrace toward the end, what Aristotle called catharsis occurs: giving viewers the chance to redeem their own passions by seeing them represented on screen.
LYRICISM, SYMBOLISM, MAGIC
'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' shows all the escapes and encounters; Xiao Zhi's advances and Chen Li's steps back as each moves in circles ever closer to the other. The two don't always say (can't or won't) what they really think. Then the director of the series speaks for them by making their desire evident in the cheerful countryside, in the greenery of the lychee plantation, in the bustle of the summer camp, in the water that one dries from the other's body, in the precious liquid that flows from the shower, falls from the sky in the form of rain, drips from the trees in the middle of a downpour, or in one of the two young people swimming in the pool while the other watches ecstatically.
The lyricism is seductive, like Xiao Zhi, fragile and joyful. 'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' isn't so much a coming-of-age story, with the loss and diminished innocence that entails, but rather a story about sensitivity. In that way, it's more about the creation of a new man who, as the plot suggests, is liberated by a pleasure that simultaneously establishes a sexual identity.
There are two scenes, among the best in world queer cinema. One is the dream. Xiao Zhi and Chen Li run together, hand in hand. They kiss passionately. The darkness of the night is broken several times by the light from their pursuers' flashlights. When the darkness is broken, the two young people, confused and fearful, are forced to separate. Then, they hold hands again, run, flee, show their triumphant love… This is an unequivocal message about the need to hide that many queer youth are forced to face under the prejudiced gaze of society.
The other scene is the passionate kiss at the end. A kiss that stops the world to create a new one, an unforgettable kiss, a kiss that is the prelude to something more. A kiss that makes you salivate and yearn to experience something like this. A kiss not from the heart, but from something more powerful: instinct. Suffice it to say that by then, the lychee plants had blossomed, and the boys were sending each other the fruits. So much symbolism in a small cardboard box!
All that remains is to suggest you watch the bonus episodes, which reflect small snippets of the couple's life after they get together.
Unequivocal and inescapable, first love unfolds on the screen of 'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' ('Li Zhi Shu Xia Re Lie Dao') just a few minutes from its start, but it permeates the 120 minutes divided into seven episodes of approximately 15 minutes each, a series that shakes off the prejudices and common obstacles of homosexuality in its historical and social context, to tell a story of friendship, love, and admiration in all its splendor. In my case, it was a rediscovery of sexual awakening that caught me off guard despite the media hype and invaded me like summer days for a teenager, where the only goal is calm, carefree enjoyment.
'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' gives us a sensational romance starring one of the couples of the year: Liu Yihe and Hu Yi Chen, who, personally, I like as much as the duo formed by New and Pide, the two actors who played Fou4Mod and Chian in that order, in 'GelBoys', and Ahn Ji Ho and Lee Sang Jun, who gave life to Lee Hee Su and Kim Seung Won, respectively, in 'Heesu in Class 2'. Both shine independently, but when they share the scene the chemistry is explosive. The first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful filmography, the exquisite cinematography, the symbolism, a language steeped in that mixture of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, known as Humanism, the key to Chinese philosophy and the cultural thought of that gigantic country, from the most ancient times to the present day, and the aesthetics that immerse you in history.
SETTINGS AND FILMING LOCATIONS
Although the camera also rolls in Guangdong, Moganshan, and the Dongguan Jianyuzhou Cultural Park, most of the scenes were filmed in Zhejiang, with its rural interior, urban centers along the East China Sea, and the picturesque West Lake, where the labyrinth of islands, islets, gardens, stone bridges, and historical sites act as a winding guide for the protagonists through the secrets that await them in a summer that could very well have been the last or be the next.
Xiao Zhi arrives at this place, fulfilling his promise to Xiao Long, his older brother, to participate in the summer camp as a teaching assistant.
The meeting place and boiling love are a modern building surrounded by ruins that serve as a shelter where children play during summer vacation, the dining room, the outdoor garden that serves both as a recreation and play area and as a place where they will have snacks and lunch, and the lychee plantations, which will later be key in several scenes that must already be part of the history of Chinese and, why not, global LGBT+ dramas.
But of all of them, there are three places that inspire the most tenderness and intrigue in me: Nie Xiaozhi's room, which he will share with the boy who will steal his heart and which gives us clues about the younger Xiao's complex character; the bathroom where our main character suffers from embarrassment with his naked body submerged in the bathtub, when the person he has fallen in love with, without asking permission, undresses in front of him to shower as if it were the most normal thing in the world; and the pool where this other young man's swimsuits will drip with the remains of each dive before they are surprised by the sudden rain.
A TRIBUTE TO DAVID HOCKNEY
The paintings the protagonists discuss are from the work of British painter, designer, set designer, printer, and photographer David Hockney. This alone is enough to reveal the character of two young university students with unusual culture and interests.
The effect is as precious as it is effective: it gives the impression that the parents of the shy, artistic, and always deep in thought Xiao Zhi (whom we will never see) have built a summer retreat just so their youngest son can meet and fall in love with their eldest son's best friend.
Undoubtedly, several scenes in the series pay homage to David Hockney, famous for his obsession with pools, rain, and water. The scenes of the young man swimming underwater toward a standing figure in a luxurious garden are a reference to his work "A Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)", whose sale established the painter, born in 1937, as the most expensive living artist in the world. We can find references to two other Hockney works in "Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island". I'm referring to "We Two Boys Together Clinging" and "Domestic Scene, Los Angeles". In the latter, while one of the men is bathing, the other rubs his back... or perhaps, out of embarrassment, prefers to turn his back on him.
THE SLOW JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, FRIENDSHIP, AND LOVE
This context, which already captivates even the most skeptical viewer, discreetly witnesses the first encounter between Xiao Zhi and his dark object of desire. He answers to the name of Chen Li, a handsome, charming, carefree, and curious university student who visits Xiao Long, the older brother of the Xiao family, during the summer weeks to help him with his work at the summer camp. Xiao Zhi shares not only his room and bathroom with him.
The plot unfolds primarily from Xiao Zhi's point of view. The camera follows him impatiently to show what he sees, his dreams and erotic desires.
After the subtle and unfortunate ambient introduction (as Xiao Zhi's cell phone will break as soon as it touches the island), the two lull us on a slow journey of discovery, friendship, connection, and love.
The love between Xiao Zhi and Chen Li begins slowly; They circle around each other, slowly closing the gap, allowing the initial indifference to disguise their interest to finally disappear. Although both have no experience in love, they are imbued with a deep feeling that leads them to shake up their lives.
Xiao Zhi ends up being much better at that game; he's assertive, self-confident, and able to stand up to his homophobic college classmates. He grows increasingly curious about his brother's friend. Chen Li still has to navigate the path of discovery and acceptance, which ultimately leads him to hurt the boy he loves and himself.
The series is very good at capturing the lazy ebb and flow of summer days, with the drowsiness and exposed body parts covered in blue and red garments (as well as paintings on the walls and various objects in those colors), which become a new symbol to identify the two protagonists.
Everyone seems to be moving in slow motion at the summer camp, with the exception perhaps of the children, who never miss a chance to play. Xiao Zhi's quiet hesitation balances the playful charm and carefree confidence of the boy she's fallen in love with. This languor fits well with the rhythm of Chen Li and Xiao Zhi's relationship, which evolves over meals, bicycle rides, playing under trees, climbing to the top of bushes to pick ripe lychee fruit, sitting on the stone structures surrounding the pool, and conversations laden with lyricism, symbolism, art and philosophy, which actually serve as an overture to the romance.
The first download occurs when Chen Li, somewhat taller and more muscular, presses his fingers into Xiao Zhi's back, neck, and ears, under the guise of applying mosquito repellent.
I can't remember the last time a scene managed to raise the hairs on my neck in just a second, so full of the intended stimulation yet so worried about the outcome of that touch.
In the friendship forged by our two protagonists, there is no hypocrisy; just two people learning to love, with their fears of accepting themselves, with doubts about whether the other loves them, giving way to mistakes and misunderstandings, but ultimately with the possibility of understanding who they are, what they desire, and with it, the value of forgiveness and commitment.
THE TIMELINE
The first five episodes tell us about the early stage of the relationship between Xiao Zhi and Chen Li, in which everything is pure (and at times extreme) desire on the part of the younger of the two. Chen Li seems willing to distance himself from his fears of coming out as gay. It's symbolic how the series shows that the lychee trees weren't filled with fruit while they were at summer camp, indicating that Chen Li wasn't yet ready to embrace his gender identity. And it is in this transition of observer that Xiao Zhi soon encounters passion.
Hu Yi Chen's performance as Xiao Zhi, in this first part of the series, is unsurpassed. Because he says little, and the few words he uses are rudimentary, but his inner self experiences moments of exuberant brilliance. He is falling in love. That's why the young actor must express everything with his gaze, which is emerging into life, into new experiences, dethroning the familiar to land with bewilderment (but certain) in the land of novelty.
Then, a time jump occurs. We leave the island with the protagonists, but they will walk their separate ways for three more years. We first notice the change not in Xiao Zhi's tears of frustration and bitterness, but in the shift in the color palette. It's no longer as bright and ethereal as it was at the beginning of the series. With distance, the shadows and chiaroscuros increase.
The non-linear timeline adds depth and allows for key memories and emotions to be revealed in layers. It's a structure that, while confusing for some viewers at first, ultimately pays off.
Xiao Long isn't the older brother any gay boy would wish for upon coming out, as he tries to separate the boys under the guise of protecting them, or perhaps out of ignorance of the feelings his brother has stirred in his best friend. In any case, the series' approach seeks to reflect the obstacles many queer youth face in their process of self-acceptance and discovery, when, in many cases, their own loved ones attack them. However, there will be no homophobia, nor will there be rejection of the brother or friend for their sexual identity.
The series lets the use of time work on many levels: to build the ever-deepening bond between the two protagonists, to co-opt the viewer step by step into the story, and so that when the two merge in a kiss and embrace toward the end, what Aristotle called catharsis occurs: giving viewers the chance to redeem their own passions by seeing them represented on screen.
LYRICISM, SYMBOLISM, MAGIC
'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' shows all the escapes and encounters; Xiao Zhi's advances and Chen Li's steps back as each moves in circles ever closer to the other. The two don't always say (can't or won't) what they really think. Then the director of the series speaks for them by making their desire evident in the cheerful countryside, in the greenery of the lychee plantation, in the bustle of the summer camp, in the water that one dries from the other's body, in the precious liquid that flows from the shower, falls from the sky in the form of rain, drips from the trees in the middle of a downpour, or in one of the two young people swimming in the pool while the other watches ecstatically.
The lyricism is seductive, like Xiao Zhi, fragile and joyful. 'Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island' isn't so much a coming-of-age story, with the loss and diminished innocence that entails, but rather a story about sensitivity. In that way, it's more about the creation of a new man who, as the plot suggests, is liberated by a pleasure that simultaneously establishes a sexual identity.
There are two scenes, among the best in world queer cinema. One is the dream. Xiao Zhi and Chen Li run together, hand in hand. They kiss passionately. The darkness of the night is broken several times by the light from their pursuers' flashlights. When the darkness is broken, the two young people, confused and fearful, are forced to separate. Then, they hold hands again, run, flee, show their triumphant love… This is an unequivocal message about the need to hide that many queer youth are forced to face under the prejudiced gaze of society.
The other scene is the passionate kiss at the end. A kiss that stops the world to create a new one, an unforgettable kiss, a kiss that is the prelude to something more. A kiss that makes you salivate and yearn to experience something like this. A kiss not from the heart, but from something more powerful: instinct. Suffice it to say that by then, the lychee plants had blossomed, and the boys were sending each other the fruits. So much symbolism in a small cardboard box!
All that remains is to suggest you watch the bonus episodes, which reflect small snippets of the couple's life after they get together.
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